Monday, April 20, 2015

Got your goat?

As
planes took off and landed behind a fence one unusually warm April day
at Portland International airport, a herd of goats lay basking in the
sun, taking a nap break from their 24-hour job of chowing down on
invasive plants.

Obviously they aren't union members.

Soon afterwards though,
the 40 Spanish and Kiko breed goats were back at work, using their hoofs [sic]
to hold down blackberry brambles and their nimble lips and sharp back
teeth to cut away unwanted foliage.

Have we stumbled upon the filming of a Portlandia episode?

The
airport took on the goats, watched over by a shepherdess and a
protective brown llama named Monty, to clear a large patch of overgrown
land just outside the airfield that is inaccessible to mowers.

No, it's the age old story of man exploits goats;

The
goats, owned by Portland company Goat Power LLC, are accustomed to
traveling all over Oregon to clear weeds from vineyards, schools and
private yards.

They even have their own security;

While they
work, Monty the llama keeps a watchful eye out for predators, ready to
call out an alarm and able to kill a coyote with one kick.